Category: Furniture Arranging

Do you feel as if your bedroom is off somehow but not quite sure what the problem is? Here are five common decorating mistakes and ideas on how you can fix them.

Lighting

The feeling that your bedroom is too bright or too dark is a shared problem for a lot of people. The main problem is that there are many bedrooms with only overhead lighting in the room. They are often blinding and not very functional. Overhead lights does not even give you the correct light to let you read a book.

Instead, try layer lighting throughout the room. In a bedroom, just as in any other space, you need ambient (general, ceiling-mounted) lighting to illuminate the entire room; task lighting (on bedside tables and vanities) to provide focused light for reading and other activities; and accent lighting, (in the form of wall sconces for example) to add drama, wash the room in soft illumination and lend a cozy, welcoming vibe. Lights at different levels and in different areas create a mood that’s warm and inviting. Dimmers allow you to adjust wattage depending on the time of day and the mood you want.

Trying to Match Bed Linens with Wall Color

It is a good idea to stay in the same color palette, just be sure to mix in different patterns and prints for a more interesting and attractive look:

So pretty together and a lot less boring!

Too Small Window Treatments

I know that you hear this often, but it is a very important detail. Your curtains need to touch the floor. That means the pole should hang between top of window frame and ceiling. If ready made curtains are too short for this height, then buy the longer set and have them hemmed. I also see the ‘skimpy’ width panels that look, well, look skimpy! An easy rule of thumb to remember is that your width of your curtains should be the double width of the window. For example, if your window frame width across is 50”, then 100” is what your curtain width should be. For ready made curtains, I usually find ordering two sets and sewing two panels together works perfectly. Also, extend your poles as far out as possible which will allow you to open fully.

This is a common decorating mistake that can easily be fixed. My grievance is the issue of artwork being too small over the bed that makes it looks as if it is floating in space. Too small of a piece of artwork looks lost and sad.

How to figure out the right size that will look perfect over your bed? The best starting point is to keep your finished piece, (the edges of the canvas or frame) between 60-80% the width of the headboard. I prefer the 80% because it looks most pleasing. For example, for a standard 76 inch wide king bed you should consider art that is between 40”×50” or 48”×60” for a little larger size.

Or if you want to hang a pair of images or a gallery wall, treat the whole thing as one piece that’s between 45 and 60 inches wide. This is just a starting point for you to try. Experiment with taping paper above your bed until you get the look you love!

Furniture arranging can be so hard, especially in your own home. Here are a few hints and tips for living rooms that have worked well for me.

* Like all of my projects, my first suggestion is to take everything out of the room except for your largest piece of furniture, usually the sofa. That includes everything- area rugs, pillows, tables and accessories. (And not just to the opposite side of the room- all the way out!)

* The focal point is chosen by what you will be using the room for. If the living room is for watching TV, that is the way to face the furniture. If you have a beautiful fireplace you want to share with friends and family, the furniture arrangement should be facing or perpendicular to the fireplace. In the example below, the sofa is placed perpendicular to the fireplace.

* Instead of thinking ‘furniture arrangement’, I like to call it a seating area, or where can people sit? I start with the sofa and then bring in more ‘seats’. Two of the same or similar chairs is my favorite combination to use. You can place them next to the sofa, across from, or many other combinations:

* After the seating arrangement is set, next I would bring in a cocktail table or ottoman to place in the middle of the seating area to tie the area together.

* I suggest using an area rug whenever possible. This will help define your area and anchor the area. I wrote here about using an area rug over carpet and how well it works. An area rug is also a perfect way to bring color into the room.

* Go large with your area rugs. A too small rug will make your room appear smaller and look awkward. Here is a chart that is a good rule of thumb for the correct size rug with furniture placement:

I know that not everyone has the luxury of a large space. If you can not pull all of the furniture away from the wall, try putting the sofa against the wall and floating your chairs, tables and rug in front of it:

* If you do have a large space, try not to line the furniture up against the wall. I pull out at least 12” which will make the room look more inviting and cozier instead of having a large empty space in the middle of the room.

* If your room is overlarge, (over 20 x 28 ft.) treat it by designing several small ‘seating areas’ in the room. A seating area can be made up of a sofa and chairs, two sofas, four chairs or two chairs. An ottoman or bench also works great as a seating piece. Or even just one chair. I love using a single chair to make a cozy corner which I wrote about here:

* What to do when you have more than one focal point in the room? First try to make two separate seating areas around each, ( for example TV and fireplace). If that is not possible because of space, then one focal point will have to be chosen.

* Once all of your seating is positioned, check that every seat has a table/stool to put down a beverage.

Everyone’s space is different and what works for you is best. Do not compare your room to the fashion magazines because those rooms are styled for looks only, not to actually be used. There is no right or wrong way to arrange seating as long as you pay attention to the focal point.

I hope this has helped you. If you have questions, please comment in the section below and I will be sure to answer.